[Nfbk] The Influence of Art

[Joey Couch]

"The Influence of Art"

Beautiful art is good for the soul. It can lift and inspire; it can
calm and soothe; it can inform and enlighten. Art improves our quality
of life and has been shown to stimulate brain function, reduce stress,
and help us focus on things that really matter.1 Those who take time
to appreciate art in its many forms understand its remarkable effects.

Years ago, a man purchased his first home and, with his limited
budget, set to the task of furnishing it. But rather than buying a
sofa, a nice kitchen table, or other pieces of furniture, he first
bought some modest but inspiring artwork. He knew he would eventually
need a place to sit in his new home, but he felt he needed art on his
walls even more.

When friends and family came to visit, they admired the beautiful
prints and paintings that adorned his walls, but they wondered why he
did not have much in the way of furniture. He explained that he was
working on saving enough money to buy better furniture, but he was
afraid that if he did not place a priority on art, he might never be
able to justify its purchase.

John Hafen, a noted artist from a hundred years ago, explained what
this man seemed to know about art. He said: "The influence of art is
so powerful in shaping our lives for a higher appreciation of the
creations of our God that we cannot afford to neglect an acquaintance
with it. We should be as eager for its companionship. . . as we are
eager for chairs to sit upon or for food to sustain our lives, for it
has as important a mission in shaping our character and in conducing
to our happiness as anything that we term necessities. Life is
incomplete without it."2

Indeed, art makes life more meaningful. Whether a painting or a poem,
a sculpture or a song, wholesome artistic expression lifts us from the
everyday and helps us see beyond the here and now.


1. See "31 Ways to Get Smarter in 2012," Newsweek, Dec. 30, 2011,
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/30/31-ways-to-get-smarter-in-2012.item-22.html.

2. In Thomas A. Leek, "A Circumspection of Ten Formulators of Early
Utah Art History" [master's thesis, Brigham Young University, 1961],
39.




-- 
Joey Couch
phone 606-216-8033.
email ki4vjd at gmail.com
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